


Broken Wings

by creatureofhobbit



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-16 22:10:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4641969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/creatureofhobbit/pseuds/creatureofhobbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happened when Tinkerbell met Cora</p>
            </blockquote>





	Broken Wings

“You sure you’re supposed to be talking to me?” Tinkerbell glanced up to see Nova in front of her. “Because I’m betting Blue doesn’t know you’re here right now.”

“She doesn’t,” Nova admitted. “But the rest of us all think she was too hard on you. We think she should have given you another chance.”

“Why should she? I’m a terrible fairy, remember?” Tinkerbell snorted. If it had just been Regina, it would have been easier for her to put that one aside – Regina was just lashing out, transferring her own anger at herself for not having dared go and meet the man with the lion tattoo on to Tinkerbell. But then had come Blue telling her that she’d had her last chance, that she couldn’t be a fairy any more because of what she had done, and so Tinkerbell couldn’t help but believe it.

“Look, the rest of us know what you were trying to do,” Nova went on. “We can see why you thought Regina was the kind of person that needed help. And maybe she is. Something must have happened in her past that made her the way she is. You talked to her, can you think of anything that it might have been?”

“She used to talk about her mother,” Tinkerbell remembered. “How she was never sure that her mother loved her. How her mother killed the man she loved after Snow White told her about him, and how she pressured her into marrying the King.”

“I’ve heard about her,” Nova replied. “Cora, the Queen of Hearts. They say she’s in Wonderland now.”

“I wonder,” Tinkerbell mused, “whether if I spoke to Cora, and helped to reconcile her and Regina, maybe Regina might feel confident enough to go and get her happy ending?”

Nova’s eyes lit up. “I might be able to help you with that.” She held out her hand to Tinkerbell. 

“Is that what I think it is?” Tinkerbell asked. “Nova, did you steal some pixie dust from Blue?”

Nova put her finger to her lips. “You can use it to open a portal into Wonderland, where you can find her. Maybe if you can talk to Cora, help her and Regina repair things, Blue will realise you’re a good fairy and she’ll give you your wings back.”

“Why are you helping me, Nova?” Tinkerbell asked.

For a moment Nova turned away from Tinkerbell, but not before Tinkerbell had chance to observe a wistful look on her face. “Let’s just say that I believe that everyone should get their happy ending,” Nova replied as she turned to fly away.

 

The guards hauled Tinkerbell roughly to her feet. As she recovered her breath, she realised she was standing before a woman sat upon a throne, her face covered by a red veil. Despite not being able to see her face, Tinkerbell instantly knew that she was in the presence of Regina’s mother, Cora, Queen of Hearts.

Cora said something to Tinkerbell, rendered unintelligible by her veil. “Her Majesty wants to know who dares to demand an audience with her?” the knave by her side translated.

“My name is Tinkerbell. I have come from the Enchanted Forest.”

Cora spoke from behind the mask again. “Her Majesty asks why she should allow you to speak with her instead of giving the order to cut off your head?” the knave asked.

“Wait!” Tinkerbell cried as he advanced towards her. “I have news of your daughter. Regina.”

Cora held up her hand to stop the knave, removing her veil as she did so. “You have seen Regina?”

Tinkerbell nodded.

“Leave us,” Cora commanded the knave and guards. She beckoned Tinkerbell closer, took her hand. “So tell me, what is your news of her?”

Tinkerbell sat down beside Cora, told her everything that had happened, how she had used fairy dust to find Regina’s true love, the man with the lion tattoo, how she had taken her to him, only for Regina to come back saying there must have been some mistake, and Tinkerbell’s coming to the conclusion that Regina must never have gone in to meet the man at all. Cora nodded, encouraged her to go on.

“She may be the Queen, but she isn’t happy, and she’s never going to be unless she meets this man.” Tinkerbell concluded. “She wouldn’t listen to me, and I wondered if maybe, she would listen to you.”

“You did the right thing in coming to me, Tinkerbell,” Cora smiled. “I can see you want the best for Regina, just as I do. Of course she must meet this man. I will return to the Enchanted Forest, talk to her, help her see where her destiny truly lies.”

As Cora looked at Tinkerbell, for a moment Tinkerbell wondered if this was the way Cora’s conversation with Snow White had gone when Snow had told her about Regina’s wish to marry Daniel. Tinkerbell hadn’t been quite sure how much she wanted to reveal to Cora, knowing as she did how Regina still felt towards her, but there had been something about Cora that had prompted her to spill more than she had ever intended to. She wondered briefly if she was doing the right thing. Then she had immediately put the Snow White thoughts out of her head. That kid sounded like a precocious little brat from all that Tinkerbell had heard about her. And Cora had said she was going to help Regina achieve her destiny. What could possibly be so bad about bringing Cora back if she was going to help Regina achieve her happy ending? And who knew, once Blue saw for herself that Tinkerbell had managed to help Regina, maybe she would realise that Tinkerbell wasn’t as bad a fairy as she had thought and Tinkerbell could get her wings back.

 

Tinkerbell had been anxiously waiting for Cora’s return, hoping to hear that Regina was even now with the man with the lion tattoo. However, one look at the expression on Cora’s face immediately told her that something had gone wrong.

“All hope for a happy ending for Regina is ruined,” Cora cursed. 

“What happened?” Tinkerbell asked, confused. “Did she not go in again?”

“She has made herself barren,” Cora spat, “to spite me. Regina has deprived herself of the chance to have a child, to build a dynasty. And it would never have happened if you hadn’t sent me to her.”

“I don’t understand –“ Tinkerbell began, but Cora raised her hand. There was a loud bang, and Tinkerbell only had time to hear the words “Out of my sight!” before she found herself struggling to catch her breath, lying on a beach somewhere she had never seen before. As she slowly sat up, she saw what she thought was a teenage boy walking towards her, holding out his hand.

“I’m Peter Pan,” he said as he took Tinkerbell by the hand and helped her to her feet. “Welcome to Neverland.”

 

Years later, after the curse, when Tinkerbell had been given her wings back and reconciled with Regina, Regina had explained to her what had really happened with the man with the fake lion tattoo when Cora had come to her. “So in sending you to Neverland, I guess she was following pattern after all, making others suffer for what she does, just like usual.” And once Tinkerbell knew the truth, and watched as Regina struggled with Zelena’s pregnancy knowing that she could never give Robin a child, she realised what her vendetta had caused and that Cora could not be blamed entirely. However, at the time when she first found herself in Neverland, Tinkerbell had had no idea of this. She had come to the conclusion that Regina had rejected Cora’s help, continued to blame her for the loss of her magic and wings. And as Peter had led her to his camp, introduced her to the Lost Boys, and in her later encounter with Hook when he shared his wish to kill Rumpelstiltskin, Tinkerbell vowed that one day she would find some way of getting her revenge on Regina for taking away everything that she had ever been, or hoped to be.


End file.
